EXCLUSIVE: Bruno Fernandes Offered MAJOR Contract By Saudi Arabian Club

In partnership with

Attacking Football

·22 May 2024

EXCLUSIVE: Bruno Fernandes Offered MAJOR Contract By Saudi Arabian Club

Bruno Fernandes is the subject of a major offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, with former Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo pushing for the deal to happen. The midfielder wants a new contract at the club, but at present, that is not something new owners INEOS view as a priority as they look to phase out the high-wage culture that has plagued United for the last decade. The money being offered from Saudi is likely to double his current earnings at the Manchester club

Bruno Fernandes’ current deal is valid until June 2026, and there is also an option for a further year. He is among the top earners at the club at present. The 29-year-old wants assurances from United before committing his long-term future to the project, but the contract he’s looking for is not something the club are willing to offer him right now. They feel the current length of time he has left on his deal, accompanied by his age, means there is no real reason to enter into new negotiations.

OneFootball Videos

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on May 15, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Saudi Interest For Fernandes

Al Nassr may not be the last Saudi side to show interest in the United midfielder between now and the end of the window, either. Newly promoted side Al Quadsiah, backed by Aramco, have a reported £700m to spend this summer and are trying to lure Jose Mourinho into the club to try and spark the revolution.

The former Manchester United manager is currently in Saudi Arabia, speaking to the owners of Al Ittihad, as well as the owners of Al Qadsiah. During his time in Saudi Arabia, Mourinho spoke at the Sync Digital Balance Summit where he was talking about the state of sport currently. With the Portuguese manager speaking about VAR and how bias impacts it.

“If you are a referee in a dark room with some screens, you know how to do it, whether it was a goal or not, whether it was offside or not, so if you are an Al-Ittihad fan, you speed up the shot a little, and if you are a Al-Hilal fan, you delay the shot a little.”

The foreign player quota in Saudi is set to move from eight players to ten players this summer, and there is likely to be an exodus of some of the big-name signings from the last two seasons due to their contracts expiring. Al Nassr are set to lose two players this summer, with David Ospina expected to leave as well as Aziz Behich, creating space for a host of foreign talent to join the club. Aramco backed Al Quadsiah are going to be a major player in the summer window after being promoted to the Saudi Pro League. It is reported they are to have hundreds of millions to spend on signings and to compete in the top flight in Saudi Arabia.

INEOS’ preference, of course, is to keep Bruno Fernandes at the club, as they view him as a major part of the future. They are looking to turn over a new leaf at the club and bring back the success of the past, but are currently unwilling to pander to the demands of a new contract. Fernandes turns 30 in September of this year, and has played 232 games for the club since signing in 2020. United are losing a large percentage of their current wage budget with the departures of Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane, and they could lower their overall yearly spending even more if Casemiro and Christian Eriksen leave this summer.

“If they want me, I will stay,” he said. “I will be here until… I said the club needs to want me. I feel that the club wants me to be a part of the future, so, as I said always, I don’t want to be a player that the club doesn’t want to have.” Bruno Fernandes on Man Utd future

The former Sporting CP midfielder also has interest from Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, but they have yet to submit a contract offer in the manner that Al Nassr has. Any contract offer from the German club is also extremely unlikely to come close to the financial might of the Saudi League side and what they’ve put on the table.

His future is unlikely to be solved until after EURO 2024, as Bruno Fernandes was called up to the Portuguese squad yesterday for the tournament, alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is pushing for his move to Al Nassr.